Electrical architecture for converting DC voltage into AC voltage, and vice versa

ABSTRACT

An electrical architecture (1) for converting DC voltage into AC voltage, and vice versa, comprising:—a DC/AC voltage converter (2), comprising a plurality of arms mounted in parallel, each arm comprising two controllable switching cells (12), in series and separated by a mid-point, the arms being paired in H-bridges (11),—for each H-bridge (11), a dedicated control member (13), such that all of the switching cells (12) of said H-bridge (11) can be controlled by this control member (13), each control member (13) being intended to communicate with a same remote control unit (14) through a potential barrier (15).

The present invention relates to an electrical architecture forconverting a DC voltage into an AC voltage, and vice versa.

This architecture can be on board an electric or hybrid vehicle, and canbe used to convert the power supply voltage supplied by an electricalnetwork into a DC voltage supplying an electrical energy storage unit inorder to charge the latter. As a variant, the architecture can be usedto convert the DC voltage supplied by this electrical energy storageunit into an AC voltage supplying the stator of an electric machinebeing used to propel the vehicle or into an AC voltage transferred tothe polyphase electrical network.

For such an application to a vehicle, it is necessary to ensure that oneor more faults that can occur within any component involved in theelectrical supply of the motor from the electrical energy storage unitwhen the vehicle is moving will not affect the safety of the users ofthe vehicle or of other persons.

Likewise, it is necessary to ensure that one or more faults that canoccur within any component involved in the charging of the electricalenergy storage unit from the electrical network will also not affect thesafety of persons located near the vehicle.

Thus, there is a need to benefit from an architecture allowing theconversion of a DC voltage into an AC voltage, and vice versa, and whichmeets the abovementioned safety requirements, while being relativelysimple and not very complex to implement.

According to one of its aspects, the invention responds to this needwith the aid of an electrical architecture for converting a DC voltageinto an AC voltage, and vice versa, comprising:

-   -   a DC/AC voltage converter, comprising a plurality of arms        assembled in parallel, each arm comprising two controllable        switching cells, in series and separated by a midpoint, the arms        being paired according to H-bridges,    -   for each H-bridge, a dedicated control block, such that all the        switching cells of said H-bridge can be controlled by this        control block, each control block being intended to, notably        configured to, communicate with a remote control unit through a        potential barrier.

According to the above architecture, each H-bridge benefits from acontrol block dedicated to said bridge. The architecture is thus dividedinto several compartments which are relatively independent with respectto one another, each compartment comprising notably an H-bridge and thecontrol block dedicated to it. Due to this relatively independentcompartmentalization, a fault arisen within one compartment does notaffect the operation of the other compartments, such that the operationof the architecture and/or the safety of persons located near it can beensured.

In the case of an application of the invention to a hybrid or electricvehicle, each compartment can additionally comprise one phase of theelectrical stator winding of the electric machine being used to propelthe vehicle.

Hereafter, “low voltage” denotes voltages less than or equal to 12 V,and “high voltage” denotes voltages greater than or equal to 60 V.

The architecture can comprise the remote control unit. In this case, theremote control unit is in a low-voltage environment while the converterand control blocks of the H-bridges are in a high-voltage environment,these two environments being separated by the potential barrier.

For example, a failure on the control of one phase of the electricalstator winding of the electric machine, i.e. a failure on the H-bridgededicated to said phase or on the control block of the switching cellsof said bridge, does not prevent the continuation of the propulsion ofthe vehicle by this motor or the continuation of the charging of theelectrical energy storage unit, when this charging operation reuses theelectrical stator winding of the electric machine.

Each control block can comprise a first source of electrical energy anda second source of electrical energy, separate from the first source ofelectrical energy. By virtue of the availability of two separate energysources for the electrical power supply, any fault affecting one of theenergy sources does not prevent the operation of the control block whichcan then be supplied by the other electrical energy source. This canensure a more reliable operation of the architecture.

One of the electrical energy sources is for example formed using one ormore batteries while the other electrical energy source is obtainedusing a high or low voltage available in the architecture. For example,the second source of electrical energy comprises the electrical energystorage unit supplying the electric motor, and a DC/DC voltage converterproviding for adapting the value of the voltage across the terminals ofthis electrical energy storage unit to a value compatible with the powersupply for a control block. Notably, this is a reversible DC/DC voltageconverter, for example as described in the application filed in Franceon 28 Sep. 2012 under the number 12 59180.

The first voltage source is for example a low-voltage source, such asthe electrical energy source of the onboard network when thearchitecture is fitted on board a vehicle. If necessary, a DC/DC voltageconverter can be used to lower the value of the voltage supplied by thislow-voltage source. The low-voltage source supplies for example all thecontrol blocks. When a DC/DC voltage converter is used to lower thevalue of the voltage supplied by this low-voltage source, there can beas many such converters as there are control blocks. The abovementionedfirst and second sources are for example common to all the controlblocks.

Each control block can comprise at least one from among:

-   -   a digital processing unit configured to communicate with the        remote control unit,    -   a device for measuring at least one electrical quantity in the        H-bridge, notably a voltage or a current, and    -   a device for measuring the temperature in the H-bridge.

The digital processing unit is for example configured to exploitmeasurements of temperature and/or electrical quantities in theH-bridge. If necessary, these measurements thus exploited aretransmitted to the remote control unit, such that the latter cangenerate the setpoints which, once received and processed by eachcontrol block, will allow the latter to drive the switches of theH-bridge to which it is dedicated.

These measurements can provide for detecting the occurrence of one ormore faults in each compartment of the architecture, and the setpointsgenerated on the basis of these measurements provide for meeting theabovementioned safety-related constraints. These setpoints are forexample duty cycle values to be applied to the controllable switches ofthe switching cells.

Prior to the detection of one or more faults in the architecture, afirst control mode can be applied to the switching cells and, due to thedetection of the fault or faults, a second control mode can be generatedand then can be applied to all or some of the switching cells in orderto meet the abovementioned safety requirements.

The second control mode can be generic, the same setpoint being appliedas soon as a fault is detected in the architecture, independently of thenature of this fault.

As a variant, the second control mode can be adapted to the detectedfault, i.e. the applied setpoints can differ depending on the nature ofthe fault detected and/or depending on the number of faults.

Each control block of an H-bridge of the DC/AC voltage converter cancommunicate with the other control blocks of the other H-bridges of saidconverter.

The digital processing unit of each control block can be configured tocommunicate with a digital processing unit of the remote control unitvia a link common to the control blocks and passing through saidpotential barrier.

One of the digital processing units of the control blocks is preferablymaster for this communication, the digital processing unit of the remotecontrol unit and the other digital processing units of the other controlblocks then being slaves. In the sense of the present application, aprocessing unit is master when it has the initiative of triggering thecommunication via the link.

If necessary, if the digital processing unit of a control block which ismaster suffers a fault, another of the processing units of the othercontrol blocks becomes master in its place.

By virtue of the fact that the communication between the low-voltageenvironment in which the remote control unit is located and thehigh-voltage environment in which the DC/AC voltage converter is locatedis performed on the initiative of the control blocks of the H-bridges,in the event of a failure or fault at the remote control unit or at anyother component in the low-voltage environment, the control blocks ofthe H-bridges can continue to operate and drive the switching cells ofthe DC/AC voltage converter by applying an operating mode that does notrequire interaction with the remote control unit.

The abovementioned compartmentalization of the architecture additionallyprovides for overcoming to a certain extent faults occurring oncomponents of the high-voltage environment. The control of each H-bridgecan be independent of the control of the other H-bridges of thearchitecture.

The link allowing communication between the remote control unit and thecontrol blocks of the DC/AC voltage converter can be a full-duplexsynchronous serial link. It can be a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)type link. The link can pass through the potential barrier.

If necessary, a single potential barrier can be placed between theremote control unit and the control blocks of the H-bridges of theconverter.

Each switching cell can be produced using a bidirectional currentswitch, for example a field effect transistor or an IGBT type transistorwith a diode fitted in antiparallel.

According to a first example implementation of the invention, thearchitecture lacks a DC/DC voltage converter placed between theelectrical energy storage unit and the DC/AC voltage converter, suchthat the DC interface of this DC/AC voltage converter can be connectedto the terminals of the electrical energy storage unit.

The digital processing units of the control blocks can be programmablelogic circuits (FPGAs) and the digital processing unit of the remotecontrol unit can be a microcontroller.

When the digital processing units of the control blocks are programmablelogic circuits (FPGAs) and when the remote control unit uses amicrocontroller, the architecture then uses three FPGAs and onemicrocontroller to perform the entire control of the switching cells ofthe converter.

As a variant, according to a second example implementation of theinvention, the architecture can comprise a DC/DC voltage convertercomprising a high-voltage interface and a low-voltage interface, onefrom the high-voltage interface and the low-voltage interface beingconnected to the DC/AC voltage converter.

According to this second example implementation of the invention, theDC/DC voltage converter can comprise several interleaved branches, eachbranch comprising:

-   -   an arm extending between two terminals defining the low-voltage        interface, said arm comprising two controllable switching cells,        in series and separated by a midpoint,    -   a coil having one end connected to the midpoint of the branch        and the other end connected to the positive terminal of the        high-voltage interface.

This implementation of the DC/DC voltage converter using severalinterleaved branches can provide for better distributing the powerbetween the various branches, and thus provide for prolonging thelifetime of the switching cells of this converter.

The switching cells of the DC/DC voltage converter may or may not beobtained using bidirectional current switches. These switching cells arefor example identical to those of the DC/AC voltage converter.

The DC/DC voltage converter can comprise an even number of branches, andthe branches can be paired, the coil of a branch of a pair being inmagnetic coupling with the coil of the other branch of said pair.

According to a first sub-mode of this second example implementation ofthe invention, the architecture can comprise, for each pair of branches,a control block suitable for driving all the switching cells of saidpair of branches.

According to this sub-mode, the DC/DC voltage converter and its controlare compartmentalized and there is a certain degree of independence fromone compartment to the other. Each compartment comprises a pair ofbranches and the associated control block. Thus, any fault in onecompartment does not affect the other compartments.

Still according to this sub-mode, each control block of a pair ofbranches of the DC/DC voltage converter can comprise a first source ofelectrical energy and a second source of electrical energy that isseparate from the first source of electrical energy. As mentionedpreviously in relation to the electrical energy supply of the controlblock dedicated to an H-bridge, this dual electrical power supplyavailable provides for reducing the risks of an electrical power supplyfault of the control block.

Still according to this sub-mode, each control block of a pair ofbranches of the DC/DC voltage converter can comprise at least one fromamong:

-   -   a digital processing unit configured to communicate with the        remote control unit,    -   a device for measuring at least one electrical quantity in the        pair of branches, and    -   a device for measuring the temperature in the pair of branches.

The dual electrical power supply available can thus provide for ensuringthat these measurements and processing operations will be carried out ifneeded.

The abovementioned measurements can provide for detecting the occurrenceof one or more faults at the pair of branches while a first mode ofcontrol of the switching cells of the DC/DC voltage converter isapplied. When this fault is detected, a second control mode can begenerated and then applied to all or some of the switching cells of saidconverter, similarly to that which has already been described inrelation to the DC/AC voltage converter.

If necessary, the second control mode and the first control mode areapplied simultaneously:

-   -   to all or some of the switching cells of the DC/AC voltage        converter, and    -   to all or some of the switching cells of the DC/DC voltage        converter.

Each control block of a pair of branches can comprise a digitalprocessing unit configured to communicate with the digital processingunit of the remote control unit and this communication can take placevia the abovementioned link which is then common:

-   -   to the control blocks of the switching cells of the H-bridges of        the DC/AC voltage converter, and    -   to the control blocks of the switching cells of the pairs of        branches of the DC/DC voltage converter,        said link passing through said potential barrier.

At least one of the digital processing units of a control block ispreferably master for this communication.

As already explained above, when a digital processing unit assigned todriving the switching cells of the high-voltage environment operates asa master, the consequences on the converters of one or more faultsoccurring in the low-voltage environment are reduced.

The digital processing units of the control blocks can be programmablelogic circuits (FPGAs) and the digital processing unit of the remotecontrol unit can be a microcontroller.

When these digital processing units of the control blocks are FPGAs andwhen the remote control unit uses a microcontroller, the architecturethen uses six FPGAs and one microcontroller to perform the entirecontrol of the switching cells of the converters.

Still according to this sub-mode, the number of branches of the DC/DCvoltage converter can be equal to the number of arms of the DC/ACvoltage converter and the architecture then comprises as many controlblocks driving the switching cells of the DC/AC voltage converter ascontrol blocks driving the switching cells of the DC/DC voltageconverter.

According to a second sub-mode of the second example implementation ofthe invention, the number of branches of the DC/DC voltage converter isequal to the number of arms of the DC/AC voltage converter, and eachcontrol block dedicated to an H-bridge also drives all the switchingcells of a pair of branches of the DC/DC voltage converter.

According to this second sub-mode, the control blocks simultaneouslyplay the role of control blocks of the architecture lacking a DC/DCvoltage converter according to the first example implementation of theinvention and the role of control blocks of switching cells of pairs ofbranches of the architecture according to the first sub-mode of thesecond example implementation of the invention which has just beendescribed.

The digital processing units of the control blocks can be programmablelogic circuits (FPGAs) and the digital processing unit of the remotecontrol unit can be a microcontroller.

When each control block comprises a processing unit being an FPGA andwhen the remote control unit uses a microcontroller, the architectureuses three FPGAs and one microcontroller to perform the entire controlof the switching cells of the converters, i.e. as many processingcomponents as there are in the absence of a DC/DC voltage converter,although the latter is present. According to this second sub-mode, thearchitecture is more efficient with reduced size and cost.

According to one or the other of these sub-modes, the DC/AC voltageconverter can comprise six arms and the DC/DC voltage converter cancomprise six branches.

According to another example implementation of the invention, thearchitecture lacks a DC/AC voltage converter, the DC/DC voltageconverter being placed between a connector suitable for being connectedto an electrical network and the electrical energy storage unit, andeach pair of branches of the DC/DC voltage converter is associated witha control block dedicated to this pair and providing for driving all theswitching cells of this pair.

In all that precedes, the architecture can comprise only onemicrocontroller, the latter forming part of the remote control unit, andseveral FPGAs, notably three or six, the latter forming digitalprocessing units of the control blocks of the H-bridges.

In all that precedes, a sensor for the position of the rotor of theelectric machine and/or a sensor for the temperature in the electricmotor, for example the temperature of the stator, can be arranged in thelow-voltage environment and interact directly with the remote controlunit, without the intermediary of components of the high-voltageenvironment. A single position sensor can thus interact with the remotecontrol unit, the latter notably using a microcontroller, as mentionedabove.

Another subject of the invention, according to another of its aspects,is an architecture as defined above, additionally comprising:

-   -   an electrical energy storage unit having a DC voltage across its        terminals, and connected directly or not to the DC/AC voltage        converter, and    -   a polyphase electrical stator winding, each electrical phase of        the stator being connected between two midpoints of an H-bridge.

The architecture can comprise a power supply line suitable for beingconnected via a connector to the external electrical network, the powersupply line comprising a number of conductors equal to the number ofphases of the electrical stator winding and each conductor having oneend connected to an intermediate point of a phase of the electricalstator winding. The intermediate point of said phase can be a midpoint.

The electrical network can be an industrial electrical network managedby an operator. For example, it is an electrical network supplying avoltage at a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

It can be a single phase network supplying a voltage of between 120 Vand 240 V or a polyphase network, for example three-phase, notably athree-phase network supplying a voltage of between 208 V and 416 V.

Another subject of the invention, according to another of its aspects,is a control method for the abovementioned architecture, in which:

-   -   it is detected that at least one fault occurs in the        architecture while a first control mode is applied to the        switching cells, and    -   a second control mode is generated when this fault is detected,        this second control mode being then applied to all or some of        the switching cells.

When the first control mode allows the power supply from the electricalenergy storage unit for the electrical stator winding and when thelatter is polyphase, the second control mode can provide for placing allor some of the electrical phases of said winding in short circuit,notably in the event of a fault in the low-voltage environment or in theevent of a fault on the link allowing communication with the remotecontrol unit. When the fault relates only to the control of one phase ofthe electrical stator winding, i.e. to the H-bridge dedicated to saidphase or on the control block of the switching cells of said bridge, thesecond control mode can provide for placing the other electrical phasesof the electrical stator winding in short circuit or provide fortemporarily suppressing the electrical phase in question. This temporarysuppression of an electric phase notably involves stopping the supply tothe control block associated with said phase and/or the switching cellsof the H-bridge dedicated to said phase. When the first control modeallows the charging of the electrical energy storage unit from theelectrical network through, among other items, the electrical statorwinding, the second control mode can provide for interrupting thecharging or can allow the charging to be carried out at a reducedperformance level.

The charging is notably interrupted by opening one or more relays placedbetween the electrical network and the DC/AC voltage converter.

Notably, a charging operation is carried out at a reduced performancelevel by imposing, according to the second control mode, a setpointvalue for the current in the electrical energy storage unit which isless than the setpoint value for said current according to the firstcontrol mode.

The invention will be able to be better understood upon reading thefollowing description of non-limiting example implementations of theinvention and upon examining the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 partially represents an electrical architecture according to afirst example implementation of the invention,

FIG. 2 functionally represents the architecture according to the firstexample implementation of the invention,

FIG. 3 functionally represents the digital processing unit of a controlblock dedicated to an H-bridge of the DC/AC voltage converter of thearchitecture of FIG. 1,

FIGS. 4 and 5 are representations in block-diagram form of scenariosthat arise when a fault occurs in the architecture according to thisfirst example implementation of the invention,

FIG. 6 partially represents an electrical architecture according to afirst sub-mode of a second example implementation of the invention,

FIG. 7 functionally represents the digital processing unit of a controlblock dedicated to a pair of branches of the DC/DC voltage converter ofthe architecture of FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 partially represents an electrical architecture according to asecond sub-mode of the second example implementation of the invention,

FIG. 9 is a functional representation of the architecture according tothe second sub-mode of the second example implementation of theinvention, and

FIG. 10 schematically represents an example of a dual electrical supplyof a control block.

There is represented in FIG. 1 an electrical architecture 1 according toan example implementation of the invention. The electrical architecture1 comprises:

-   -   a DC/AC voltage converter 2,    -   an electrical energy storage unit 3, and    -   an electrical stator winding 4 of an electric machine.

The DC/AC voltage converter 2 is in this example arranged between theelectrical energy storage unit 3 and the electrical winding 4 so as toprovide an exchange of electrical energy between these latter.

The electric machine is in this example being considered used to drive ahybrid or electric vehicle. This involves for example a permanent magnetsynchronous motor. The electric machine exhibits for example a nominalpower rating of between 10 W and 10 MW, notably between 100 W and 200kW. In this example, the electrical stator winding 4 is three-phase.

The electrical energy storage unit 3 can be a battery, a supercapacitoror any assembly of batteries or supercapacitors. For example, severalparallel branches of series-connected batteries are involved. Theelectrical energy storage unit 3 can have a nominal voltage rating ofbetween 60 V and 800 V, notably between 200 V and 450 V or between 600 Vand 800 V.

A capacitor 6 can be fitted in parallel with the electrical energystorage unit 3.

As represented in FIG. 1, the architecture 1 can comprise a connector 7suitable for being connected to an industrial electrical networkdelivering a voltage at 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

This connector 7 is for example connected, via a filter 9 configured toeliminate electromagnetic interference, to an intermediate point of eachphase 10 of the electrical stator winding 4. This is for example amid-point for the phases, as taught in the application WO 2010/057893.

The converter 2 converts in this example the DC voltage across theterminals of the electrical energy storage unit 3 into a three-phase ACvoltage supplying the electrical stator winding 4, in order to allow thepropulsion of the vehicle.

Conversely, the converter 2 can convert the AC voltage supplied by thenetwork and passing through the electrical stator winding 4 into a DCvoltage supplying the electrical energy storage unit 3, in order toprovide the charging of the latter. The connector 7 is then connected toa terminal of the electrical network.

The converter 2 here comprises three H-bridges 11, each H-bridge beingformed by two arms fitted in parallel between the terminals of theelectrical energy storage unit 3. Each arm exhibits in this example tworeversible switching cells 12, fitted in series. A switching cell 12 isfor example formed by the fitting in antiparallel of a transistor and adiode, the latter being if necessary the intrinsic diode of thetransistor. The transistor can be field effect, IGBT or bipolar.

Each H-bridge 11 is associated with a control block 13 driving theoperation of all the switching cells 12 of the bridge 11. For the casein which each switching cell 12 comprises a transistor, this controlblock 13 injects the gate or base current providing for changing thestate of the transistor.

The architecture 1 comprises, as represented in FIG. 2, a remote controlunit 14 exchanging data with each control block 13 via a link 19 whichcan be a full-duplex synchronous serial link, for example SPI. Thisexchange of data can take place, in the example of FIGS. 1 and 2,through a single potential barrier 15 through which the link 19 passes.This potential barrier 15 provides for example galvanic isolation,notably using a transformer or an opto-coupler. This barrier 15separates the low-voltage environment to which the remote control unit14 belongs from the high-voltage environment to which the control blocks13, the DC/AC voltage converter 2, the electrical energy storage unit 3and the electrical stator winding 4 belong.

The remote control unit 14 can comprise one or more processing systems,for example one or more microcontrollers 16. The remote control unit 14can communicate with a supervisor via a CAN link 17. In an applicationto a vehicle, the supervisor can be the engine electronic control unit(ECU) of the vehicle. The control unit 14 can be responsible forgenerating setpoint values for the current in each arm of the bridge 11and for the voltage across the terminals of the arms of the bridge 11.

In the context of communications via the link 19, one of the controlblocks 13 can be master, as will be seen later, i.e. communication viathis link 19 is managed by this control block 13. If necessary, theremote control unit 14 is associated with measurement units providingfor measuring the temperature in the stator of the electric machine andwith measurement units providing for determining the position of therotor of the electric machine.

Each control block 13 will now be described in greater detail withreference to FIG. 2. Each control block 13 is in this case identicalfrom one H-bridge to the other.

Each control block 13 comprises a digital processing unit 20 arranged toreceive information on the state of the associated H-bridge 11, and togenerate control signals to drive the switching cells 12 of the bridge11, if necessary based on setpoints received from the remote controlunit 14.

The processing unit 20 can be a programmable logic circuit (or FPGA). Inthis case, and when the processing by the remote control unit 14 uses amicrocontroller, communication via the link 19 takes place between theFPGA 20 and the microcontroller 16. The FPGA 20 can be master and themicrocontroller can be slave.

As represented in FIG. 2, the control signals to drive the switchingcells 12 of the bridge 11 can be generated by a functional block 21 ofthe processing unit 20, this functional block 21 cooperating withanother block 22 responsible for various strategies to be applied in theevent of one or more faults in the bridge 11.

The control block 13 also comprises in the example being consideredmeans for establishing a diagnostic of the state of the bridge 11. Thesemeans provide for example for measuring the voltage across the terminalsof an arm of the bridge 11, the current in an arm of the bridge 11, forexample by virtue of a shunt, or the temperature at a point locatedbetween the two arms of the bridge 11.

The values measured by these means are then transmitted to theprocessing unit 20. If necessary, these values can be analyzedautonomously by the processing unit 20, which can generate the controlsignals to drive the switching cells 12 of the bridge 11. As a variant,these values are sent to the remote control unit 14 via the link 19 insuch a way that the latter generates the setpoints which will then beused by the processing unit 20 in order to generate the control signalsdriving the switching cells 12.

The control block 13 comprises in the example being considered a dualelectrical energy supply, as can be seen in FIG. 10. This dual supply isformed by a first source 200 and a second source 201.

The first source 200 is for example the electrical energy source of theonboard network, the latter thus delivering a low voltage, for examplein the order of 12 V. Each first source 200 of a control block 13 cancome from one source common to the control blocks, this common sourcebeing notably as mentioned above the electrical energy source of theonboard network of the vehicle.

If necessary, a DC/DC voltage converter can be placed between theelectrical energy source of the onboard network and each control block13 in order to provide for lowering the value of the voltage supplied bythe electrical energy source of the onboard network. It is for examplepreferable to electrically supply each control block 13 using a voltagehaving a value of less than 12 V, for example 6 V or less.

This first electrical energy source 200 can provide for supplying thevarious components of the control block 13, and the source 200 can beprovided with means for activating the source 200, maintaining it inservice and interrupting it when it is no longer necessary for it tooperate or for safety reasons.

The second source 201 uses in this example an already-availablehigh-voltage source, forming part of the architecture 1 or beingaccessible therefrom.

In this example being considered, the second source 201 uses the voltagesupplied by the electrical energy storage unit 3. A DC/DC voltageconverter, for example the one described in the application filed inFrance on 28 Sep. 2012 under number 12 59180 can provide for convertingthe voltage across the terminals of the electrical energy storage unit 3to a low voltage compatible with the power supplying of the controlblock 13.

The processing unit 20 of FIG. 2 is represented functionally in FIG. 3.This unit 20 comprises:

-   -   a module 30 forming a phase-lock loop, receiving a clock signal        from the microcontroller 16, the clock frequency being for        example 10 MHz,    -   a half-duplex module 31 responsible for sending and receiving        data via the link 19,    -   a plurality of analog/digital converters 33 connected to the        abovementioned measurement means. These converters 33 provide        for acquiring analog values measured by these means and their        analog/digital conversion;    -   a module 34 generating duty cycle values for the voltage        supplying the drivers of the switching cells;    -   a module 35 generating duty cycle values which will be applied        to the switching cells 12 of the bridge 11 in order to drive        these switching cells, so as to control the operation of the        DC/AC voltage converter 2 when the architecture 1 is used to        propel the vehicle,    -   a module 36 receiving as inputs the digital measurements        supplied by the measurement means described previously, so as to        perform a diagnostic of the state of the H-bridge 11,    -   a module 37 generating duty cycle values which will be applied        to the switching cells 12 of the bridge 11 in order to drive        these switching cells, so as to control the operation of the        DC/AC voltage converter 2 when the architecture 1 is used to        charge the electrical energy storage unit 3,    -   optionally, a digital/analog converter 38 exhibiting an output        on four channels,    -   optionally, a visual module 39, showing the activity of the        processing unit 20, and    -   a storage and computation module 40.

The interaction between the various modules above will now be described.The information received by the analog/digital converters 33 is sent bythe module 31 to the remote control unit 14 after having passed throughthe module 40. The remote control unit 14 generates, based on at leastthis information, setpoints transmitted via the link 19 to the module 31and then transmitted to the modules 34 and 35 after having passedthrough the module 40.

The information coming from the module 36 responsible for establishing adiagnostic on the state of the bridge 11 is transmitted to the modules35 and 37 as well as to the remote control unit 14 via the modules 40and 31. If necessary, this information is taken into account by theremote control unit 14 in order to generate the setpoints which are thentransmitted to the modules 34 and 35, as explained above.

There will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 examples ofa second mode of control of the DC/AC voltage converter 2 by the variouscontrol blocks 13 when a fault is detected in the architecture while afirst mode of control was applied.

FIG. 4 corresponds to the case in which a fault is detected in thearchitecture 1 while the converter 2 operates as an inverter to supplythe electrical stator winding 4 from the electrical energy storage unit3, so as to propel the vehicle.

The column 40 corresponds to the faults that can occur in thearchitecture in the case being considered, while the column 41 indicateshow this fault is detected, the column 42 indicates the configurationtaken by the converter 2 due to the application of the second controlmode by the switching cells 12, and the column 43 indicates the state ofthe propulsion of the vehicle due to the application of this secondcontrol mode.

The blocks 50 and 51 correspond respectively to:

-   -   a loss of control of a component in the low-voltage environment,        for example the remote control unit 14, and    -   a fault on a passive power component, for example the capacitor        6.

These faults are detected according to 52 by the microcontroller 16 ofthe remote control unit 14 and/or by the FPGA 20. As a safetyprecaution, a second control mode is generated and then applied to theswitching cells 12 and this second control mode is such that theconverter 2 takes a configuration according to 53 in which the threephases of the electrical stator winding 4 are in short circuit.

Consequently, the motor torque becomes zero, such that the vehicle is nolonger propelled by the electric motor and decelerates slowly accordingto 54. The block 55 corresponds to the case of a fault occurring at thelink 19. This fault is detected according to 56 by the FPGA 20. Thesecond control mode is generated by the control blocks 13 and applied tothe switching cells 12, so as to then cause the converter 2 to shiftinto the same configuration as according to 53, such that the statecorresponding to the block 54 is arrived at.

The block 58 corresponds to a loss of control of a component of thehigh-voltage environment, for example at the drivers of the switchingcells 12 of a bridge 11. This fault is detected according to 59 by theremote control unit 14 and/or by the FPGA 20. The second control mode isthen generated by the remote control unit 14 and/or by the FPGA 20, andthen applied to the switching cells 12. This second control mode is suchthat, when it is applied, the converter 2 takes a configurationaccording to 60 in which two phases of the electrical stator winding 4are in short circuit.

Consequently, the motor torque becomes zero, such that the vehicle is nolonger propelled by the electric motor and decelerates slowly, stillaccording to 54.

As a variant, when the remote control unit 14 or the FPGA 20 detects afault according to 59, the second control mode generated can be suchthat, when it is applied to the switching cells 12, the converter 2takes a configuration 61 in which a bridge 11 is in short circuit, suchthat only two phases of the electrical stator winding 4 are still used.Only two H-bridges 11 are then active. Consequently, the performancelevel of the electric motor is reduced, i.e. the maximum power that themotor can supply is reduced, the latter ending up in the state accordingto 62.

The block 63 corresponds to a fault occurring on an active powercomponent of an H-bridge. This fault is detected according to 59 by theremote control unit 14 and/or by the FPGA 20, such that the convertercan then end up in the configuration according to 60 or 61.

In summary, the DC/AC voltage converter 2 can take the configurationaccording to 53 when at least one of the following faults is detected:

-   -   loss or degradation of communication with the supervisor, the        CAN link, i.e. a fault in the low-voltage environment,    -   loss or degradation of the SPI link 19 or in one of the modules        31 of the FPGAs 20,    -   loss or degradation of the microcontroller 16 of the remote        control unit 14,    -   loss or degradation of the power supply of this microcontroller        16,    -   degradation of the power supply of a sensor for the position of        the rotor of the electric machine, this sensor interacting with        the remote control unit 14, or loss or degradation of the        position measurement supplied by this sensor,    -   loss or degradation of an emergency stop program for the        electric motor,    -   major fault at the electric motor,    -   loss of the EMC filter 9, or of an EMC filter arranged between        the HV battery and the inverter,    -   loss of the capacitor 6,    -   loss or degradation of the power supply of the processing units        20 of the control blocks 13,    -   loss or degradation of a signal ensuring the correct        disconnection of a power connector placed between the electrical        energy storage unit 3 and the DC/AC voltage converter 2.

The configurations 60 or 61 can be arrived at when one or more faultsoccur within a single compartment of the architecture 1, i.e. in theexample being considered within a single control block 13 or within asingle H-bridge 11.

This fault is one of at least:

-   -   a loss or an error in the current measuring chain in the bridge        11 and/or in the voltage measuring chain in the bridge 11,    -   a loss of connection of the bridge 11 at the electrical stator        winding 4,    -   a loss or a degradation of the processing unit 20 of the control        block 13,    -   a loss or a degradation of the drivers associated with each        switching cell 12 and transmitting to the latter the setpoints        from the processing unit 20,    -   loss or degradation of the power supply of the processing units        20 of the control blocks 13.

FIG. 5 corresponds to the case in which a fault is detected in thearchitecture 1 while the converter 2 operates as a rectifier to chargethe electrical energy storage unit 3 from the electrical network throughthe electrical stator winding 4 and while a first control mode isapplied to the switching cells 12.

The same faults according to blocks 50, 51, 55, 58 and 63 can occur andbe detected by the remote control unit 14 or by the FPGA 20 according toa block 65.

Two second alternative control modes can then be generated and appliedby the switching cells 12 of the bridges 11 of the converter 2 in thiscase.

One of these second control modes causes the converter 2 to shift into aconfiguration according to 67 in which the control of the switchingcells 12 is interrupted due to the stopping of the electrical supply ofthe control blocks 13, and this configuration corresponds to a state 68of the architecture 1 in which there is no charging of the electricalenergy storage unit by the electrical network.

The other second control mode causes the converter 2 to shift into aconfiguration according to 69 in which a degraded charging occurs. Thisdegraded charging corresponds for example to a charging with a reducedsetpoint value for the current in the electrical energy storage unit 3.The architecture 1 is then in a state 66 in which charging of theelectrical energy storage unit 3 is carried out at a reduced performancelevel, the charging time being notably higher.

Analysis or a diagnostic of the state of the bridge 11 and determinationof the strategy to be applied according to whether faults are detectedin this bridge 11 can thus be carried out by the processing unit 20 ofthe bridge in question, if necessary using information transmitted bythe link 19 from the remote control unit 14.

In the example which has just been described, the architecture 1 lacks aDC/DC voltage converter placed between the converter 2 and theelectrical energy storage unit 3, such that the voltage on the DCinterface of the converter 2 is substantially equal to that across theterminals of the electrical energy storage unit 3. The invention ishowever not restricted thereto, as will now be seen.

FIG. 6 represents an architecture 1 according to a second exampleimplementation of the invention. This architecture 1 differs from thatwhich has just been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 due to thefact that it additionally comprises a DC/DC voltage converter 70 placedbetween the capacitor 6 and the electrical energy storage unit 3, i.e.the converter 70 is also arranged between said unit 3 and the DC/ACvoltage converter 2.

The DC/DC voltage converter 70 provides for adapting the value of thevoltage across the terminals of the electrical energy storage unit 3 tothe value of the voltage suitable for supplying the electrical statorwinding 4, and vice versa. This converter 70 is in this caseinterleaved, comprising several branches. Each branch comprises in thisexample:

-   -   an arm fitted in parallel with the capacitor 6 and comprising        two switching cells 71 in series, which are controllable and        separated by a midpoint 73,    -   a coil 74 with one end connected to the midpoint 73 of the arm        and the other end connected to the high-voltage positive        terminal of the electrical energy storage unit 3.

In the example being considered, the number of branches of the converter70 is equal to the number of arms of the converter 2, i.e. six, and thebranches are paired, the coil 74 of one branch of one pair 75 being inmagnetic coupling with the coil 74 of the other branch of said pair 75.

In this example, each pair 75 of branches is associated with a controlblock not represented in this figure and responsible for driving all theswitching cells 71 of this pair 75. Each control block is dedicated toone pair 75 of branches and it can be in every respect or not identicalto a control block 13 of a bridge 11 of the converter 2 describedpreviously. Each control block dedicated to a pair 75 of branchesnotably comprises a digital processing unit 77, similar or identical tothe digital processing unit 20 described previously.

This processing unit 77 is for example implemented using an FPGA and itcan differ from that described with reference to FIG. 3 only by theabsence of the module 37. Each processing unit 77 then communicates withthe remote control unit 14 via the link 19, the latter being shared withthe processing units 20 of the control blocks 13. The link 19 comprisesfor example several wires and one is assigned to the exchange of databetween the processing units 20 and the remote control unit 14 whileanother wire is assigned to the exchange of data between the processingunits 77 and the remote control unit 14.

Similarly to that described earlier, when each processing unit 20 andeach processing unit 77 are implemented using FPGAs and when theprocessing by the remote control unit 14 uses a microcontroller,communication via the link 19 takes place between the FPGAs and themicrocontroller 16, and one of the FPGAs is master.

In the example of FIG. 6, the architecture 1 comprises six controlblocks, namely:

-   -   three control blocks 13, each being dedicated to an H-bridge 11        of the DC/AC voltage converter 2, and    -   three control blocks, each being dedicated to a pair 75 of        branches of the DC/DC voltage converter 70.

Thus, in this architecture there are three processing units 20 and threeprocessing units 77, i.e. six FPGAs, when each processing unit 20 or 77is implemented using an FPGA.

The presence of a control block dedicated to each pair 75 of branches ofthe converter 70 can provide for remedying the following faultsoccurring within said pair 75 or within the control block of said pair75:

-   -   a loss or an error in the current measuring chain in the pair 75        or in the voltage measuring chain in the pair 75,    -   a loss or a degradation of the processing unit 77 of the control        block of the pair 75,    -   a loss or a degradation of the drivers associated with each        switching cell 71 and transmitting to the latter the setpoints        from the processing unit 77,    -   loss of the auxiliary energy source of the control block of said        pair 75 when the latter uses the electrical energy storage unit        3.

There will now be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 anarchitecture 1 which differs from that which has just been describedonly by the fact that instead of having:

-   -   a control block 13 dedicated to each H-bridge 11 of the DC/AC        voltage converter 2, and    -   a control block dedicated to each pair 75 of branches of the        DC/DC voltage converter 70,        i.e. six control blocks in total, the architecture 1 comprises        only three.

As represented in FIG. 8, according to this example implementation, acontrol block 13, in addition to driving the switching cells 12 of anH-bridge 11 of the DC/AC voltage converter 2, also drives the switchingcells 71 of a pair 75 of branches of the DC/DC voltage converter 70. Theprocessing units 20 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 hence alsoplay the role of the processing units 77 described with reference toFIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 9 is a representation similar to that of FIG. 2 for thearchitecture of FIG. 8. As can be seen, each processing unit 20 isfunctionally split into two parts, the first part 80 being assigned todriving the switching cells 12 of an H-bridge 11 of the DC/AC voltageconverter 2, this part 80 carrying out the tasks of the processing unit20 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, while a second part 81 isassigned to driving the switching cells 71 of a pair 75 of branches ofthe DC/DC voltage converter 70, this part 81 carrying out the tasks ofthe processing unit 77 described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

The link 19 in this example provides for conveying between the remotecontrol unit 14 and the control blocks 13 both data connected with thedriving of the switching cells 71 of the DC/DC voltage converter 70, anddata connected with the driving of the switching cells 12 of the DC/ACvoltage converter 2. A wire 82 of the link 19 is for example dedicatedto the exchange of data between the remote control unit 14 and the firstparts 80 while another wire 84 is dedicated to the exchange of databetween the remote control unit 14 and the second parts 81.

Two separate isolators 18 providing the potential barrier 15 between theremote control unit and the converters 2 and 70 can each have one of thewires 82 or 84 pass through it. As a variant, a single multichannelisolator 18, having the wires 82 and 84 pass through it, can be used.

When the processing of the data from the converters 2 and 70 by theremote control unit 14 uses a microcontroller and when each controlblock 13 comprises an FPGA, the architecture 1 according to FIGS. 8 and9 exhibits the safety-related advantages mentioned previously, whileusing only four digital processing components.

The invention is not limited to the examples which have just beendescribed.

The expression “comprising a” must be understood to mean “comprising atleast one”, except when otherwise specified.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electrical architecture comprising: aDC/AC voltage converter for converting a DC voltage into an AC voltageand for converting an AC voltage into a DC voltage, comprising aplurality of arms assembled in parallel, each arm comprising twocontrollable switching cells, in series and separated by a midpoint, thearms being paired according to H-bridges; and for each H-bridge, adedicated control block, such that all the switching cells of saidH-bridge can be controlled by the dedicated control block, eachdedicated control block being configured to communicate with a sameremote control unit through a potential barrier, wherein the eachdedicated control block includes at least one selected from the groupconsisting of: a digital processing unit configured to communicate withthe remote control unit, a device for measuring at least one electricalquantity in the H-bridge, and a device for measuring the temperature inthe H-bridge.
 2. The architecture as claimed in claim 1, the eachdedicated control block comprising a first source of electrical energyand a second source of electrical energy, separate from the first sourceof electrical energy.
 3. The architecture as claimed in claim 1, theeach dedicated control block comprising the digital processing unitconfigured to communicate with the digital processing unit of the remotecontrol unit via a link common to the dedicated control blocks andpassing through said potential barrier, one of the digital processingunits of the dedicated control block being master for thiscommunication.
 4. The architecture as claimed in claim 1, the eachdedicated control block being configured to communicate with the otherdedicated control blocks.
 5. The architecture as claimed in claim 1,additionally comprising: an electrical energy storage unit having a DCvoltage across its terminals, and connected directly or not to the DC/ACvoltage converter; an electrical stator winding, each electrical phaseof the stator of being connected between two midpoints of an H-bridge;and the remote control unit.
 6. The architecture as claimed in claim 5,comprising only a single microcontroller forming part of the remotecontrol unit, and three or six programmable logic circuits (FPGAs)forming the digital processing units of the dedicated control blocks ofthe H-bridges.
 7. A control method for the architecture as claimed inclaim 5, comprising: detecting that at least one fault occurs in thearchitecture while a first control mode is applied to the switchingcells; and generating a second control mode when the at least one faultis detected, the second control mode being then applied to all or someof the switching cells.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, in whichthe first control mode allows and corresponds to the power supply fromthe electrical energy storage unit for the electrical stator winding,the latter being polyphase, and the second control mode applied providesfor and corresponds to the placing in short circuit of all or some ofthe electrical phases of said winding.
 9. The method as claimed in claim7, in which the first control mode allows and corresponds to the powersupply from the electrical energy storage unit for the electrical statorwinding, the latter being polyphase, in which it is detected that thefault relates only to the control of one phase of the electrical statorwinding, and in which the second control mode applied provides for andcorresponds to the placing in short circuit of the other electricalphases of the electrical stator winding, or provides for temporarilysuppressing, corresponding to a temporary suspension of the electricalphase in the control of which the fault occurs.
 10. The method asclaimed in claim 7, in which the first control mode allows andcorresponds to a charging of the electrical energy storage unit from anelectrical network through, among other items, the electrical statorwinding, and in which the second control mode applied provides forinterrupting, and corresponds to the interruption of, said charging orprovides for reducing the performance level thereof, or notablycorresponds to the reduction of its performance level.
 11. Thearchitecture as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an electricalenergy storage unit configured to receive a DC voltage, wherein the DCvoltage is obtained by converting an AC voltage supplied by anelectrical network, to charge a storage unit; and a stator of anelectrical machine configured to receive an AC voltage, wherein the ACvoltage is obtained by converting the DC voltage supplied by theelectrical energy storage unit.